Chile: mysterious mass death of guano cormorants

In Chile, environmental authorities are investigating the deaths of thousands of seabirds and other marine life whose carcasses were found in the Coquimbo region.

According to estimates by the Agriculture and Livestock Authority (SAG), at least 3,500 guano cormorants, about 10% of the 10,000 Humboldt penguins, an endangered species, and 9,000 sea lions, twice as many as in the past 14 years, have been found dead since March 26 of this year.

The deaths of the penguins and sea lions are attributed to the outbreak of avian flu that has affected the entire Chilean coast, but the cormorants had not contracted the virus.

The director of the SAG in Coquimbo, Jorge Mautz, reiterated that it was safe to say that these deaths were not due to bird flu.

Authorities are now investigating what may have caused the deaths of the birds, a phenomenon that has frightened residents.

According to the regional director of the SAG, “something is happening at sea” that is causing the death of these animals that dive into the oceans in search of food.

The guano cormorant is one of the main guano producers in South America and is found year-round between Isla Lobos de Tierra in northern Peru and Isla Mocha in central Chile.

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